Welcome to Hysa House

Hysa: the Swedish verb meaning to nurture, to nourish, to harbor, to house.

Hi and welcome, friend! Come on in! We’re so glad you’re here. We’re Joe and Jen Carlson and this is our home. This is a lifestyle blog where I (Jen) share about our family’s journey in ministry, hospitality, adoption, voracious reading, natural living, decor, food, fashion, music, and any other bits finding their way into our daily lives.

When we were remodeling this miracle house (Joe built almost everything you see!), we prayed for a name – something that would represent our heart for it and for every person who came to be a part of it – and the Lord gave us Hysa House. A place where people would be nourished, body and soul, they way we have been nourished in our lifetime. Where they could stay and sleep and eat and play and thrive. And it has lived up to its name ever since. Read more about our story here.

Our home is my nest and I love making it lovely. I’m always puttering in the rooms and designing in my head and pulling down my cookbooks to work through new recipes and failing at gardening and keeping a never-ending book stack on my nightstand and thinking up more things for Joe to build (next up, window seats!) and learning how to mom our precious son! I love classic lines and classic fashions and symmetry. I’m drawn to the warmth of wood + the cool of gray and blue. I’m on a continual hunt for the perfect white tee, and I’m a sucker for stripes. And gray. I wear oils everyday, and I will probably only ever wear Nickel & Suede earrings forever. I love connecting deeply with others and I thrive in quiet. Together, Joe and I minister to our church family, mentor, counsel, teach, and run a thriving business with Young Living. My husband is currently in grad school and we have big dreams of adopting more children, opening a Hysa House Idaho, starting a threshold college, and giving BIG to our church community, our alma mater, and other amazing organizations close to our heart.

So, friend, browse the pages and look around! You’re welcome here. We love sharing this home’s warmth and joy and richness with all who come in. It’s our heart and prayer that no one leaves hungry in any way.

For He satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul He fills with good things. Psalm 107:9